First Female Rhino in 20 Years Born At Ramat Gan Zoo

The staff of Israel’s Ramat Gan Safari are celebrating as the first female white rhino was born at the enclosure in over twenty years. The safari hasn’t seen many births in the span of the last two decades, the most recent being a male rhino by the name of Tibor in 2007 following the birth of Shalom nearly fifteen years earlier.

Although both males were born at Ramat Gan, they’ve been since relocated to other enclosures. However this new female calf, who is still unnamed, will be remaining with the facility, much to their excitement.

“It’s been 20 years since a female rhinoceros was born here,” said head of the safari’s African section, Rami Tam, in an interview with JSpace News. “The meaning of a female birth is that the calf will be able to stay here at the safari with us even after she reaches maturity, and that is a big source of happiness.”

Ramat Gan Safari takes the preservation of the white rhino seriously, and they’re not the only ones. The conservation of the species has become a global issue given the threat the species faces by poachers and dwindling birth rates.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as reported by Space News, “Nearly 2,400 rhinos have been poached across Africa since 2006, slowing the population growth of both African rhino species to some of the lowest levels since 1995, according to the latest facts revealed by IUCN experts.”

Not long ago, the white rhino was considered to be endangered but now finds itself on the World Wildlife Fund’s list of “near threatened” creatures. Although seeing them no longer endangered is a cause worth celebrating, seeing as their counterpart the black rhino is currently extinct, experts still fear for their safety and their place on this earth.

However this newborn calf, and her mother, need not worry as they’ll both be staying at Ramat Gan.